Our Invisible Spikes

This is a simile that Ajan Brahm gave in a recent talk. I don’t believe it is his simile and I am just trying to convey his thoughts. I highly recommend listening to his talks on youtube.com

We’re all born with invisible spikes all over our body. Some people have very short spikes, some more average and some very long. When dealing with someone with long spikes, you often get poked, scratched or hurt easily. Most people have average spikes… you can get pretty close and just occasionally you get scratched; you know how close you can get. And then there are those with very short spikes, you don’t get scratched that often and only when you get too close. If you are lucky enough to meet someone with no spikes, it’s an amazing experience because you can be whoever you really are without getting hurt. You are totally embraced and accepted. The purpose of this life is to get rid of those spikes so you can love anybody, especially yourself.